This is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/668,408 filed Jun. 21, 1996 and entitled AUTOMATED NAIL POLISH REMOVER.
The present invention relates to nail polish removing devices, and more particularly, to a device for use by manicurists or their customers for automatically applying a nail polish removing fluid to the user's fingernails in a controlled manner, while at the same time subjecting the nails to a scrubbing action. The present invention includes features which facilitate clean-up of the nail polish remover and which increase the ease of use of the device as compared to prior art nail polish removers.
One method in widespread use of removing fingernail polish from fingernails involves a person wetting a piece of cotton with fingernail polish removing fluid and then rubbing the fingernails with the wetted cotton until the fingernail polish has been removed. In addition to being overly time consuming, this commonly used method presents the high probability that fingernail polish removing fluid will be inadvertently dripped or spilled onto clothing, carpets or furniture. Further, this method typically requires that fingernail polish be removed from only one fingernail at a time, further lengthening the process.
A number of automatic fingernail polish removing devices are known in the art. These devices typically have a rotating scrubbing member, such as a brush, which sits partially immersed in a reservoir of fingernail polish removing fluid. One or more of the fingernails of the user's hand are placed in contact with the rotating scrubbing member in order to remove the fingernail polish from the fingernails with the help of a fingernail polish removing fluid. One disadvantage of these prior art fingernail polish removing devices is that a large amount of the fingernail polish remover, in which the scrubbing member is partially immersed, is wasted. Another disadvantage is that the rotating scrubbing member is difficult to clean or replace. Yet another disadvantage is that disposal of used fingernail polish removing fluid is frequently a cumbersome and messy task.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved fingernail polish removing device which can be used to remove fingernail polish from the fingernails of a user's hand in a safe, clean and efficient manner without wasting fingernail polish removing fluid.